Cardiovascular disease, in particular
coronary heart disease, is the principal cause of mortality worldwide.
Atherosclerosis is the underlying disorder in the majority of patients with
coronary heart disease. The development of atherosclerotic plaque in the
arteries is a result of multiple risk factor including both non-modifiable
risk factor and modifiable risk factor which are associated with life style
choice, particularly poor diet habits. In recent years, the eating habits of
highly industrialized societies changed radically thanks to new technologies in
the food industry, that allow consumption of products containing large amounts
of trans fatty acids.
Trans fatty acids are unsaturated
fats, that contain at least one double bound. In contrast to naturally
occurring unsaturated fatty acids, which have the cis configuration (hydrogen
atoms on the same side of the acyl chain), TFAs contain at least 1 double bound
in the trans configuration (hydrogen atoms on opposite sides of the acyl
chain). The type of bond affects the shape of the fatty acid chain. A cis bond
creates a bent chain, whereas trans results in much straighter molecules
similar to that of saturated fatty acids. Although the chemical composition of
a cis and Trans fat may be identical, this change in the configuration will
induce obvious effects on the packing of the lipid in, for example,
phospholipid bilayer and on the function of both lipids and proteins in a
membrane structure.
Recently, the use and presence of
TFA in the diet has been the object of much public health discussions. This
article focuses on TFAs as modifiable dietary risk factor for atherosclerosis,
reviewing the evidence for lipid and non-lipid effects.
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